This wide ranging book explores the Pacific Ocean's place in human history, drawing together its long and varied physical, economic, cultural and political history, from Prehistory through to the present day.

Introduction 1. Comprehending the Pacific: Environmental Influences and Effects 2. Peopling the Pacific: from Prehistory to the First European Incursions 3. Claiming the Pacific: European Exploration and Annexation 4. Encompassing the Pacific: Revolutions in Transport, Navigation and Chart-Making 5. Exploiting Pacific Resources 6. Contesting the Pacific: Military Activity, Colonial Struggle and Imperial Competition 7. Picturing the Pacific: The Ocean Hemisphere in Art, Literature and Film 8. Developing the Pacific: Political Independence, Economic Advancement, and Environmental Protection. Conclusion. Selected Bibliography

Donald B. Freeman is Emeritus Professor of Geography, York University, Canada. His research interests include the historical geography of trade and development in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. His books include The Straits of Malacca: Gateway or Gauntlet?(2003).